Ellen Fremedon, Volunteer [Paperback]

Joan Givner (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Ellen Fremedon

Blessed — or cursed, depending on her mood — with an active mind, incessant curiosity, and uncontrollable nosiness, Ellen Fremedon is not looking forward to another summer. Her best friend, Jenny, is going away to art school, and none of their usual projects seem like much fun anymore. Plus, Ellen, now 13 years old, has developed a bit of an attitude, and she isn’t thrilled at being left behind with the boring folks in Partridge Cove. The possibilities are far from enticing: Spend time with her obnoxious little twin brothers? Read to brats in the summer reading program at the library? Take on more chores at home now that their housekeeper has left and multiple sclerosis confines Mrs. Fremedon to a wheelchair? To add insult to injury, Ellen is corralled into visiting a bunch of seniors at Peacehaven, the local retirement home, where she meets her match in Mr. Martin — a blind, rude, old man who is even crankier than Ellen. Can it get any worse? In this lively novel, award-winning author Joan Givner explores serious issues — including family dysfunction, single parenthood, and disability — through humor, surprise, and one of the most appealing main characters in contemporary young adult fiction.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–6—Sure that she's in for a boring vacation in her small seaside village in Canada, Ellen is grumpy and resists everyone's suggestions about possible activities. Then, despite her initial hesitation, she is roped into helping at a retirement home. Even though the elderly people are sometimes cranky, she begins to care about them. When she learns that Peacehaven is under threat of closure by the government, she tries to do something about it—to no avail. She also meets Dimsie Fairchild, a girl who is spending the summer with her stern grandmother in the woman's creepy, dark house. Dimsie's mother had disappeared years earlier after a car accident, throwing a mystery into the mix. Too many story lines run through the short novel while unsympathetic characters make it hard to feel much compassion. The lack of character development, choppy plot, and general sense of negativity make for a less-than-satisfying reading experience.—B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

With her best friend off to arts camp in Saskatchewan, 13-year-old Ellen is not looking forward to summer. Then she befriends Dimsie Fairchild, a Toronto girl staying with her reclusive grandmother, and becomes a volunteer at Peacehaven, a local retirement center. Inquisitive Ellen is intrigued by the mystery of Dimsie's mother, a concert pianist who disappeared more than a decade ago. When Peacehaven's closure is announced, Ellen attempts to save the home, and the ensuing publicity ends up reuniting Dimsie and her parent. This latest offering about Ellen brims with intriguing characters whose ordinary exteriors stand in sharp contrast to their backstories. The elderly Miss Gwillam, for example, who seems locked in a fantasy world involving a dollhouse full of mice, turns out to be a renowned children's book author. This story can stand alone, and should be popular with readers looking for a thoughtful mystery. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Groundwood Books; First Trade Paper Edition edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888997442
• ISBN-13: 978-0888997449
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,184,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)